On the Arizona in Italy Summer Study Abroad Program, we take a lot of field trips. My favorite is always to Tivoli. We spend the morning at Hadrian’s Villa, which is a sumptuous second-century residence. Then we spend the afternoon at the Villa d’Este, which is a tribute to decadence. No wonder people love it!

Built by a cardinal (what else was he going to do with all that money?), the villa has beautifully painted rooms…. But the real draw are the lovely, luscious gardens.

There are waterfalls, water pools, lions sprouting water, rocks sprouting water, a horse statue with water, an eagle statue with water, and a stairway with water. As you walk along trying to take everything in, you forget about any problems and just concentrate on the sheer beauty.

The vegetation includes grass, huge trees, and flowers. While those might seem mundane to anyone living in Italy, they represent special beauty to anyone who lives in the desert!

Every time I go to the gardens, I discover a new statue or a quiet corner I’d overlooked before. On a hot day, the gardens are a triumph of the serenity achieved through the simple sounds of gushing water. For the true romantics, a piece of Only You (Robert Downey Jr. and Marissa Tomei) was shot by the corridor of fountains.

The whole sight is a tribute to imagination and luxury. I’ve got the imagination all right… but I’m not sure I can afford the luxury!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_La_Granja_de_San_Ildefonso
The gardens and fountains were fabulous, going from extremely cultivated to wild. I did not go into the Palace- the garden kept me enchanted and besides, it was hot.

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Travel is my biggest inspiration. In fact, my motto is that when it comes to travel, no excuse is too small. But now that I'm writing more fiction, I have a special need for the perfect setting....